JP2603808B2 - Baseball ball and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a baseball having a discriminating means inside and being identifiable from the outside, and a method of manufacturing the ball.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a so-called batting center, in which a plurality of pitching machines are arranged and in which a baseball ball thrown from each pitching machine is hit and enjoyed, is well known.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional baseball practice range lacks interest because it simply hits a baseball thrown from a pitching machine. Therefore,
The inventor of the present application has filed an application as previously filed (Japanese Patent Application No. 6-9331).
No. 7 and Japanese Patent Application No. 6-167047), a plurality of areas, such as an out, hit, and home run, are provided in front of the at-bat, and the at-bat hit by a baseball ball in each area is specified, and each at-bat is determined. The present invention has proposed a baseball game device capable of calculating an out-count, advancing a runner, and counting a score according to the entered area. In this baseball game device, in order to specify the bats hitting the baseball balls in each area, it is necessary to prepare at least baseball balls of a type corresponding to the number of bats and to allow the balls to be identified from the outside. There is. The present invention has been made based on this demand, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a baseball and a method for manufacturing the same, which can be distinguished from the outside.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, a baseball according to the present invention has a hard core in which a base having a resonance circuit constituted by electric circuit elements is formed into a spherical shape with a resin material. And the core is spherically covered with an elastic member layer having high elasticity.

The method of manufacturing a baseball ball according to the present invention includes a step of embedding a base provided with an electric circuit element (for example, a coil and a capacitor constituting a resonance circuit) in a resin material and forming the resin material into a spherical shape. And a step of disposing the spherically shaped resin material at the center, covering the periphery of the resin material with an elastic material, and molding the elastic material into a spherical shape.

Further, in the method of manufacturing a baseball, a small-diameter hole is formed in the resin material in a step of molding the resin material into a sphere, and the small-diameter hole is formed in the step of molding the elastic material in a sphere. By inserting a pin into the mold and engaging the pin with a mold for forming the elastic material, the resin material formed into the spherical shape is positioned, and the pin is removed after the step of forming the elastic material. It is characterized by having done.

[0007]

In the baseball ball constructed as described above, various baseball balls having different resonance frequencies can be prepared by changing the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit formed by the electric circuit elements. It is also possible to measure the resonance frequency from outside. Therefore, according to the baseball of the present invention, various identifiable baseballs can be manufactured. Also, since the base having the electric circuit element is embedded in a hard core molded of a resin material, the element is damaged even if a baseball ball is hit with a bat and an impact force is applied to the ball. Never
The identification can be performed over a long period of time.

In the method for manufacturing a baseball ball having the above-described structure, a base provided with electric circuit elements is embedded in a resin material, and the resin material is molded into a spherical shape.
In addition, since only the spherical resin material is coated around the resin material with an elastic material and the elastic material is merely formed into a spherical shape, the electric circuit element is built in and the element is exposed to external impact. A baseball that is not damaged can be easily manufactured. Accordingly, if a resonance circuit is formed using, for example, a coil and a capacitor as electric circuit elements, the baseball can be provided with the above-described identification function, and the ball can be identified from the outside.

Further, according to another feature of the manufacturing method,
The spherically shaped resin material is positioned with high accuracy at the center position of the baseball ball by the pin, and if the pin is pulled out after manufacturing, the elastic material fills the hole of the pin by elastic deformation, so that the influence of the pin is eliminated. Therefore, according to this, the base material is embedded and the resin material molded into a sphere is accurately disposed at the center of the baseball, and the center of gravity position and the center position accurately coincide with each other, so that the ball can fly well. .

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a baseball ball 10 according to the present invention. This baseball ball 10 is formed of a hard core 11 formed into a spherical shape with a thermoplastic resin material, and a spherical shape made of an elastic material (for example, an elastic material whose main component is urethane, rubber, synthetic rubber, or a silicon mixed material). And an elastic member layer 12 rich in elasticity. Inside the core 11, a base 1 formed into a disc shape with a thermosetting resin material
3 are embedded, and coils 14a and 14b and capacitors 15a and 1
5b (see FIG. 3) is provided. On the surface of the elastic member layer 12, a stitch pattern 12a of shallow unevenness is formed.

According to the baseball 10 constructed as described above, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit is changed by changing the inductance values of the coils 14a and 14b and the capacitance values of the capacitors 15a and 15b provided on the base 13. Since various changes can be made, baseball balls 10 having various combinations of resonance frequencies can be easily prepared. Further, the coils 14a and 14b and the capacitor 15
Since the base 13 having the electric circuit elements a and 15b is embedded in the hard core 11 formed of a resin material, even if the baseball ball 10 is hit with a bat and an impact force is applied to the ball 10 The element is not damaged.

Next, the baseball ball 10 having the above-described configuration will be described.
The method for manufacturing the will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of columnar members 21a and 21b and a disk-shaped base 13 are prepared. The cylindrical members 21a and 21b are formed by molding a cylindrical rod having a predetermined diameter (for example, 28 mm) having a predetermined diameter (for example, 28 mm) formed of a thermoplastic resin material which is cured at room temperature and softened at about 150 ° C. Made by cutting into pieces. The base 13 is formed of a thermosetting resin material (a resin material which is kept in a hardened state at least at a normal temperature to about 150 ° C.) and has a smaller diameter than the columnar members 21a and 21b, and as shown in FIG. A pair of strip-shaped coils 14a, 14 each having a conductor band formed in a spiral shape.
b, and chip-shaped capacitors 15a, 15b connected between both ends of each of the coils 14a, 14b.
Are provided respectively. The coil 14a and the capacitor 15a form a resonance circuit having a predetermined resonance frequency, and the coil 14b and the capacitor 15b form a resonance circuit having a predetermined resonance frequency different from the above.

The base 13 prepared is coaxially sandwiched between the pair of columnar members 21a and 21b prepared in this way and temporarily fixed with an adhesive (see FIG. 2). And between the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 as shown in FIG. A hemispherical concave portion 31a having a diameter of about 36 mm is formed on the lower surface of the upper die 31, and a small-diameter cylindrical protrusion 31b extending vertically downward is provided at the center of the concave portion 31a. It is provided integrally. A hemispherical concave portion 32a having a diameter of about 36 mm is also formed on the upper surface of the lower die 32, and a small-diameter, cylindrical projection 32b extending vertically upward is provided at the center of the concave portion 32a. And are provided integrally. Next, the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 are moved to 12 using a press and a heating device (not shown).
The resin-made cylindrical members 21a and 21b are formed into a spherical shape while being softened by being brought into close contact with each other and heated, and then the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are cooled to form the same mold 3.
The cured molded product is taken out of 1, 32.

By this forming step, the above-mentioned spherical hard core 11 as shown in FIG. 5 is formed. A base 13 having a pair of resonance circuits constituted by coils 14a and 14b and capacitors 15a and 15b, which are electric circuit elements, is embedded in the core 11 and is perpendicular to the base 13 and along a radial axis. A pair of small-diameter holes 11a and 11b having a predetermined depth from the outer peripheral surface and having a diameter of about 2 mm are formed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, one end of each of the small diameter metal pins 41a and 41b having a diameter of about 2 mm is inserted into the small diameter holes 11a and 11b of the core 11 formed as described above. Then, the other end of each of the pins 41a and 41b is engaged with a lower mold 42 having a hemispherical concave portion 42a having a diameter of about 72 mm formed on the upper surface so that the core 11 is positioned at the center of the concave portion 42a. Arrange in the position. Grooves 42b, 42c are provided on the upper surface of the lower mold 42 in the diameter direction of the concave portion 42a, and pins 41a, 41b are provided in the grooves 42b, 42c.
Are fitted to each other. This lower mold 42 has the same lower mold 4
The upper die 43, which is symmetrical to the upper die 43, is opposed to the upper die 43, and a hemispherical concave portion 43a having a diameter of
Are formed, and grooves 43b and 43c are formed.

In the state where the core 11 is disposed at the center of the lower mold 42, a rubber material (for example, urethane, rubber, synthetic rubber, silicon mixed material, etc.) is added to a cross-linking agent, a reinforcing agent (solvent) and a foam. The elastic material 44 mixed with the agent is injected into the concave portion 42a of the lower mold 42 by an injection device (not shown). Then, the lower mold 42 and the upper mold 4 are pressed with a press and a heating device.
3 is heated at a low temperature (for example, 50 ° C.) such that the core 11 is not softened. As a result, the elastic material 44 foams by the action of the foaming agent, and the baseball 10 in which the core 11 is covered with the elastic member layer 12 having high elasticity as shown in FIG. 7 is formed. The inner surfaces of the concave portion 42a of the lower die 42 and the concave portion 43a of the upper die 43 are provided with shallow irregularities corresponding to the stitch pattern, and the surface of the elastic member layer 12 of the molded baseball ball 10 is formed. A stitch pattern 12a is formed. After the baseball 10 has been formed in this manner, the temperatures of the lower mold 42 and the upper mold 43 are lowered to reduce
The ball 10 is taken out of the ball 3.

The elastic member layer 12 for such a core 11
After the coating process of the elastic material 44,
Remove 1a and 41b. In this case, the pins 41a, 41
Since b has a small diameter and the elastic member layer 12 has a strong elastic force, the holes of the elastic member layer 12 after the pins 41a and 41b are pulled out are naturally closed by the elastic deformation of the elastic material 44. As a result, a baseball 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is formed.

According to the above method for manufacturing a baseball ball, the base 13 provided with the resonance circuit composed of the coils 14a, 14b and the capacitors 15a, 15b is provided with the resin material 21a, 21b.
A resilient member having high elasticity, which is embedded in the inside and the resin material 21a, 21b is formed into a spherical shape to form the core 11, and the core 11 is centered around the concentric 11 with an elastic material 44 in a spherical shape. Only by providing the layer 12, the coils 14a,
Since the baseball 13 provided with the resonance circuit including the capacitor 14b and the capacitors 15a and 15b can be manufactured without damage, a plurality of types of the baseball 10 can be easily identified. In the manufacture of the baseball ball 10, the core 11 is provided with small-diameter holes 11a and 11b, the pins 41a and 41b are inserted into the holes 11a and 11b, and the elastic material 44 is formed by using the pins 41a and 41b.
The core 11 is located at the center of the lower mold 42 and the upper mold 43 by engaging with the lower mold 42 and the upper mold 43 for molding the core. Can be positioned. As a result, the center of gravity position and the center position of the completed baseball ball 10 are accurately matched, and the ball 10 can fly well.

Next, an example of a baseball game device using the baseball 10 will be described. The device includes an identification device for identifying the type of the baseball 10. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the identification device has a Colpitts-type oscillator 51 having a reception function, and an antenna function that forms a part of the oscillator 51 and resonates with a resonance circuit in the baseball ball 10. And three coils 52. The oscillation frequency of the oscillator 51 is controlled by a control voltage Vf output from the control circuit 53.
The relationship between the oscillation frequency and the control voltage Vf is determined as shown in FIG. The coils 52 are arranged on three orthogonal surfaces of a case 53 provided in the path of the baseball ball 10 and resonate a resonance circuit in the baseball ball 10 with respect to an oscillation signal of the oscillator 51. The control circuit 53 converts the sweep waveform signal having the sawtooth waveform into the control voltage Vf as shown in FIG.
And the resonance voltage Vt as shown in FIG.
, The type of the baseball 10 is identified according to the combination of the temporal positions of the resonance peaks.

In the discriminating apparatus constructed as described above, if the control circuit 53 generates a sweep waveform signal as the control voltage Vf, the oscillator 51 operates as a pair of resonance circuits built in the baseball 10 as shown in FIG. A resonance voltage Vt having a resonance peak at a time position corresponding to the resonance frequency is output.
Therefore, the control circuit 53 can identify the type of the baseball 10 by the combination of the time positions of the resonance peaks.

Since the baseball ball 10 can be identified in this manner, a specific type of baseball game device can be used, for example, by using the above-described identification device in a plurality of pitching machines provided in a batting practice area (batting center). Each of the baseball balls 10 is supplied. And
A plurality of areas such as an out, a hit, and a home run are provided in front of the at-bats corresponding to each pitching machine, and the type of the baseball ball 10 entering each area is determined using the identification device. Thereby, the baseball ball 1 which entered each area | region
It is possible to specify the at-bat at which the player hit 0, calculate the out-count for each at-bat according to the entered area, advance the runner, and count the points. Therefore, by using the baseball ball 10 according to the present invention, an interesting baseball game can be realized only by slightly improving the batting range.

In the above embodiment, two resonance circuits are built in the baseball ball 10. However, in order to use the baseball game device in a batting practice field having a large number of bats, various types of baseball are used. If the ball 10 needs to be identified, more than two resonance circuits may be incorporated in the ball 10 so that the combination of the resonance frequencies can identify the baseball ball 10 corresponding to each at-bat. Good. Conversely, when only a small number of types of baseball balls 10 need to be identified in order to use this baseball game apparatus in a batting practice field with a small number of bats, one resonance circuit is built in the ball 10. Is also good.

In the above embodiment, the small-diameter hole 11
a, 11b are provided perpendicular to the base 13 and in the radial direction of the core 11, and pins 41a, 4b are inserted into the small-diameter holes 11a, 11b.
The base 11 is inserted into the lower mold 42 and the upper mold 4 when the elastic member layer 12 of the baseball ball 10 is formed by engagement of the pins 41a, 41b with the lower mold 42 and the upper mold 43.
3, if they can be arranged at the center position with respect to the small holes 11a, 11
b may be provided in a portion of the core 11 other than the above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a baseball ball according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining an arrangement state of a base and a columnar member before a core of the baseball is formed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the base of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a mold portion for explaining a process of forming the core of the baseball ball.

FIG. 5 is an external view of the core after the core is formed.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a mold portion for explaining a process of forming an elastic member layer on the core.

FIG. 7 is an external view of a baseball after being formed.

FIG. 8 is an electric circuit diagram of an identification device for identifying the baseball.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between the baseball and an antenna.

10 is a voltage-frequency characteristic graph of the oscillator shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a time chart showing a sweep voltage signal and a resonance peak by the control circuit of FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

10 baseball ball, 11 core, 11a, 11b small hole, 12 elastic member layer, 13 base, 14a, 14b
Coil, 15a, 15b ... condenser, 21a, 21b
... columnar member, 31 ... upper mold, 32 ... lower mold, 41a, 41
b: Pin, 42: Lower die, 43: Upper die, 44: Elastic material.

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A base provided with a resonance circuit constituted by an electric circuit element is embedded in a hard core formed into a spherical shape with a resin material, and the core is spherically covered with an elastic member layer having high elasticity. A baseball ball characterized by being made. 2. A process of embedding a substrate on which an electric circuit element is provided in a resin material and molding the resin material into a spherical shape, and disposing the resin material molded into a spherical shape around the resin material so as to surround the resin material. A step of coating with an elastic material and molding the elastic material into a spherical shape. 3. A method for manufacturing a baseball ball comprising the coil and the capacitor constituting a resonance circuit as the electric circuit element according to claim 2. 4. The method for manufacturing a baseball ball according to claim 2, wherein a small diameter hole is formed in the resin material in a step of forming the resin material into a sphere, and the elastic material is formed into a sphere. In the process, a pin is inserted into the small-diameter hole, and the pin is engaged with a mold for molding the elastic material so that the resin material molded into the spherical shape is positioned. After the process of molding the elastic material, A method of manufacturing a baseball, wherein the pin is removed. 5. A method for manufacturing a baseball ball comprising the coil and the capacitor constituting the resonance circuit of the electric circuit element according to claim 4.